Tell me about delta air

[Kebby]

Hi all!

We are Canadians who drive over the boarder to fly. We hVe flown both jetblue and southwest and had great experiences, but now are considering delta as the prices are much cheaper.

I kniw nothing about the airline- how are they as a rule? Any major pitfalls I should know about? Are they known for being ok?

Thanks!

 

[sam_gordon]

Hi all!

We are Canadians who drive over the boarder to fly. We hVe flown both jetblue and southwest and had great experiences, but now are considering delta as the prices are much cheaper.

I kniw nothing about the airline- how are they as a rule? Any major pitfalls I should know about? Are they known for being ok?

Thanks!

When I fly (not often) it's on Delta. They're usually the cheapest at my local airport. I don't have any major problems to report. They are "known" for changing times/planes often, which can mess up your trip or seat reservations.

However, when we have had a change that doesn't work for us (short layover, new departure/arrival time doesn't work, etc), I've had no problem calling and getting onto a flight that DOES work for no fee. You just have to keep checking on your own to make sure there hasn't been a change.

They do have free drinks (non-alcoholic) and snacks (peanuts, pretzels, cookies). I know that's not a big deal to most, but wanted to throw it out there.

They do charge for checked bag UNLESS you get their American Express card. Then each person in your travelling party (up to 9) gets one free checked bag.

 

[DebbieB]

When I fly (not often) it's on Delta. They're usually the cheapest at my local airport. I don't have any major problems to report. They are "known" for changing times/planes often, which can mess up your trip or seat reservations.

However, when we have had a change that doesn't work for us (short layover, new departure/arrival time doesn't work, etc), I've had no problem calling and getting onto a flight that DOES work for no fee. You just have to keep checking on your own to make sure there hasn't been a change.

They do have free drinks (non-alcoholic) and snacks (peanuts, pretzels, cookies). I know that's not a big deal to most, but wanted to throw it out there.

They do charge for checked bag UNLESS you get their American Express card. Then each person in your travelling party (up to 9) gets one free checked bag.

I agree with everything you said. The first year of the American Express card is free, there's a $95 fee after that. You get a lot of bonus miles when you get it, I think 30,000. Check to be sure this is all still applicable before you apply.

 

[Greysword]

They do charge for checked bag UNLESS you get their American Express card. Then each person in your travelling party (up to 9) gets one free checked bag.

I am not certain Canadian citizens can sign up for the AMEX delta co-branded cards. Instead, it seems Canadian citizen have a Capital One co-branded card. You can see the list of Delta cards here.

The DeltaPoints blog recently discussed them here, as well.

As for Delta, I agree with Sam. I like them, and Delta is my preferred airline. They have very good customer service and a solid escalation process (Red Coat staff are empowered to do things regular agents can not, so just find a red cost if needed while traveling). As a West coast resident, I purchase my Alaska Airline tickets from Delta when traveling to Disneyland, just so Delta gets a little bit of the revenue.

I would recommend downloading the Delta app to a smartphone if you travel with them. It can send gate change notifications, allow you to track your luggage while in transit, and their twitter account is supposed to be very very responsive if a change needs to occur or problem arises.

Good luck and have fun!